The inspiration for Saint Joseph’s Day is the little-known love story of the Italian POWs held at Jackson Barracks near New Orleans during World War II, and the local girls they met and married. I was lucky enough to join with Curator Sal Serio from the Italian-American Archive for a special event April 20, 2019 at the Jefferson Parish Library. We brought many of the descendants of these families together–some were meeting for the first time–and welcomed our extra-special guest Giovanni DiStefano, 95 years young. Mr. DiStefano is the last surviving Jackson Barracks POW, and had many wonderful stories to share. Visit the “News” section for links to more stories about the Jackson Barracks POWs and their families.
Click All’s Fair to download a Power Point presentation which provides some of the historical context for the Saint Joseph’s Day story.
My Aunt Pina, Giuseppina Macaluso Taormina, would visit the prisioners. She was born in Contessa Entellina.
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Hi Robert. Very cool. If you have any photos or artifacts, please let me know. Sal Serio at the American Italian Library and I are collecting stories. Can I ask how you found your way to this page? I’m trying to build a following in advance of the book getting published.
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